


Sabotage

by BridgetMcKennitt



Category: Firefly
Genre: Adventure, Gen, Post-Series Pre-Movie, Psychic Abilities
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-03
Updated: 2013-07-03
Packaged: 2017-12-16 12:32:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/862071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BridgetMcKennitt/pseuds/BridgetMcKennitt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The job was complete, they got paid, and no one died. This had been one of their better jobs recently.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sabotage

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mk_tortie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mk_tortie/gifts).



_Serenity_ broke atmosphere of the moon and Wash flew her towards the moon's only port. Zoe leaned over his chair, looking over the coordinates. "Are you sure you're going the right way?" she asked. "Because it looks like we're heading to the middle of nowhere."

"I'm going the right way. The coordinates are..." Wash cleared his throat and flew the ship around. "Upside down. I forgot about that. Thank you, honey."

"Mhm, you're welcome." She straightened and met Mal's gaze. "So you've been skittish about what exactly our mission here on Orbane is. What is in those big crates in our cargo bay?"

"Don't know, don't care. We were offered a lot of money to deliver these crates to a compound outside the city and we're going to do it."

"I love it when missions have you ending up naked." Wash laughed as Zoe left the bridge.

Mal turned to shout at Zoe down the hall. "Hey! That only happened once. Nothing bad is going to happen this time."

Mal was wrong. Very wrong.

As soon as they opened the doors, it was obvious how wrong Mal was. Mal was the first one to drop. He took one step outside the ship and collapsed before he could take a second. When Kaylee called for Simon to help Mal, he and Jayne were the next to go. It didn't take long for the rest of the men in their crew to slip into unconsciousness.

"Kaylee, shut the door!" Zoe cried out as she checked Wash's pulse. He was still breathing. "None of us are leaving this ship until we figure out what is going on."

Inara helped Zoe drag the rest of the crew in the center of the cargo bay. River merely watched from the platform above them. Kaylee came back with Simon's medical bag.

"I don't know what you need, so I brought a little of everything," Kaylee said as she handed the bag to Zoe.

"I'm going to see if I can radio someone. Maybe we're not the only ones who are dealing with this." Inara clasped Kaylee on the shoulder before heading towards the bridge.

Zoe first checked the vitals of Wash, then worked her way from there. As far as she could tell, everyone was just unconscious, nothing more. She didn't know what was wrong with them. Kaylee knelt next to Simon, hands clenching and relaxing as she waited for Zoe's word. Only Zoe didn't know what to say.

"Still, so still. The air breathes them deep and she won't let them go." River stepped lightly down the stairs, heading towards them. She stared down at them with detached wonder.

Zoe didn't understand what River said, but she didn't have time to worry about that when she heard Inara's voice over the speakers.

"I got in contact with someone in the port tower. It looks like this has been happening all over Orbane. All of their men fell unconscious about a week ago and while their healths remains steady, they don't know what's wrong with them."

Zoe cursed as she got up to press the button so she could speak to Inara. "Do you know how they got infected?"

"They're not sure. Something about the air."

At that word, Zoe sharply glanced at River as she sat down next to Kaylee. River held her hand a few inches above Simon's face.

"That's when the Cap'n got sick," Kaylee said. "Once we opened the door and breathed in this moon's air."

"We have another problem, Zoe. The women Mal promised the delivery to are very much conscious and they want their crates. If we don't deliver it in the next couple of hours, they'll consider us runners and blow up our ship. They sent their coordinates and it looks like the only way to get to them is on foot or by wheels, not air."

Zoe pursed her lips. That wasn't good. "All right, head back here, Inara."

Once Inara returned to the cargo bay, Zoe told them her plans. "Our first priority is delivering those crates. If what you were told is true, Inara, our men will be fine if we leave them here. Once we do, we'll get off this moon and see if we can get some medical help off world."

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but how are we going to deliver the crates?" asked Kaylee.

"We're all going to go and deliver them on the mule. Kaylee, you're going to drive and Inara, you and me are going to sit tight on them." She turned to River. "You're coming with us. I'm not going to leave you behind with no one around to watch you. Besides, maybe you'll glean something important and warn us of incoming trouble."

River merely smiled up at Zoe as she patted Simon's forehead. "There's no screaming, only peace. Just keep breathing and sunrise will be here soon."

"Right. All right, Kaylee, help me load up these crates. Inara, I want you to input the coordinates into the mule. I aim to make this a quick in and out trip."

"You're going to bring the guns, right?" asked Kaylee.

"Of course. Just because I want quick in and out doesn't mean it's going to happen."

It didn't take them long to load the crates and once they were all on the mule, Kaylee drove them down _Serenity_ 's ramp and through the port. Zoe immediately noticed how not busy it was. Even for a moon not near the Core planets, there should have been life and noise, but there wasn't. There were a few people out, all women, but they kept to themselves. It was easy for Kaylee to maneuver the mule through the streets.

River couldn't stop looking around at everything they passed. Inara kept an arm around River so she couldn't fall off the mule.

"Their world is half, but there's no cry of despair," River said.

"River's right. Why isn't anyone alarmed that half of the moon's population is asleep with no signs of waking up?" asked Inara. "This entire thing feels like a trap."

"It just might be, but doing nothing means our ship gets shot up, and I'm not going to risk it. Kaylee, how long until we arrive at our destination?"

"Maybe twenty minutes or so. What do we even know about these people? Did Cap'n say anything?"

"He didn't, but I suspect they're up to no good. Most of the people we deal with are up to no good."

They reached the compound and Zoe touched the gun hidden under her coat. There were women along the top of the wall with guns in their hands and Zoe did not like the look they gave them. She pressed her palm harder against her hidden gun.

Kaylee waved up to the guards and the doors of the compound slowly creaked open. Kaylee shifted gears and drove the mule inside. The compound doors closed behind them.

A woman as tall and imposing as Zoe herself walked towards them as Kaylee slowed the mule to a stop. Zoe got off of the mule and gave the woman a nod.

"You're not Captain Mal," she said.

"I'm afraid I ain't. The captain, like all the men on your moon, has come down with something, so I took over the delivery. I'm his second in command, Zoe."

"Well, Zoe, the name's Shanna and I run this place." She gestured and her nearby guards moved closer to the mule. "Thank you for delivering my goods."

Inara helped River off the mule and kept her to the side as the guards began taking the crates down from the mule. Kaylee stood near Zoe until the mule was empty.

Shanna turned to Zoe. "Excellent. Here's your payment, fifty silver coins." She tossed Zoe a pouch filled with jingling coins.

Zoe tossed it right back. "That's not what you agreed on with the captain." She didn't know exactly the price Mal agreed on, but it certainly wasn't something as low as fifty silver coins.

"Well, since your captain isn't here to disagree with my word, I'd say you have to take my word for it."

Zoe pushed aside part of her coat to reveal one of the many guns hidden on her body. "I could, but I'd rather we pick up the payment you offered the captain in the first place."

Shanna laughed and more guards with guns piled into the courtyard of the compound. "Do you really think you have the means to make me do anything?"

Suddenly, River stepped away from Inara and strode towards Zoe. Kaylee tried to grab her, but River shrugged her off as she stood in front of Shanna.

"And who are you?" asked Shanna.

"River. You live your life full with a brave face, but you're not. I see inside you. I see who you really are."

"Oh? And who do you think I am?"

"You're scared. You were never meant to lead, but you do because the air demands it. You're afraid and you're afraid your people will see it, sniff it out in the air. You're afraid they'll hang you by your toes."

The look on Shanna's face was fearful and Zoe was ready to pull River behind her if the moment called for it. What Zoe didn't expect was Shanna lifting her hand and another guard hustled over with a small chest. The guard dropped it on the ground before stepping back.

"All right. Here's your payment." Shanna opened the lid of the chest and there were gold coins inside. "Take it and get out of here before I change my mind."

"Pleasure doing business with you." Zoe and Kaylee lifted the chest onto the mule and they soon got on themselves. The compound's doors opened and Kaylee turned the mule around so they could leave.

Zoe waited until the compound was a speck in the distance before she turned to give a grateful look to River.

"I don't know what you said to make Shanna change her mind, but I'm glad you did."

River smiled and Inara gave her a hug.

"She did as you asked," Inara said. "She read Shanna's mind."

"I reckon she did. Okay, let's head back to _Serenity_ and see if getting out of this moon's atmosphere reverses what happened to the menfolk."

They reached the ship and Zoe took one fleeting glance at Wash's still body before marching towards the bridge. She sat in the pilot's seat and started up _Serenity_. She didn't stop until they reached space and Zoe leaned over to talk into the speaker.

Zoe cleared her throat before speaking. "Kaylee, how is the crew?"

There were a few seconds before Kaylee answered. "They're awake! Zoe, they're waking up in bits and pieces, but they're waking!"

Zoe let out a sigh of relief and set the autopilot on before heading towards the cargo bay. Kaylee hadn't been fibbing. She rushed down the stairs and flew into Wash's embrace.

She turned to Mal who was still coughing into his fist. "We're never going back to Orbane again, sir."

"No argument from me. You got the money?"

"And then some. River here spooked Shanna into giving us a chest filled with gold coins."

"Shiny." Mal coughed again. "You all did good and I'm proud. Now we're flushed with money."

Zoe hugged Wash again and kissed him. The job was complete, they got paid, and no one died. This had been one of their better jobs recently.


End file.
